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Air France (France)

For the Swedish band, see Air France (band).
"Air France" is also a nickname for basketball player Mickaël Piétrus.
Air France
Compagnie Nationale Air France
IATA
AF		 ICAO
AFR		 Callsign
AIRFRANS
Founded 1933
Hubs Charles de Gaulle Airport
Focus cities
Frequent flyer program Flying Blue
Member lounge L'Espace Première Lounge
Departures Lounge
Arrivals Lounge
Salon Air France
SkyTeam Lounge
Alliance SkyTeam
Subsidiaries
Fleet size 261 (+ 45 orders) incl.cargo
Destinations 170 incl.subsidiaries
excl.code-shares
Parent company Air France-KLM
Company slogan "Making the sky the best place on Earth" ("Faire du ciel le plus bel endroit de la terre")
Headquarters Roissy-en-France, France
Key people Jean-Cyril Spinetta (Chairman and CEO)
Pierre-Henri Gourgeon (COO)
Philippe Calavia (CFO)
Website: http://www.airfrance.com

Air France (formally Société Air France) is a French airline based in Roissy-en-France,[1] France, and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. Air France flies to 20 domestic destinations and operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to 150 international destinations in 83 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France). The airline's global hub is at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, with Paris Orly Airport, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport serving as secondary hubs.[2] Air France's corporate headquarters, previously in central Paris,[3] are located at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, north of Paris.[4]

Air France was formed on 7 October 1933, from a merger of Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). In 1990, the airline acquired the operations of domestic French carrier Air Inter and international rival Union des Transports Aériens (UTA). Air France served as France's primary national flag carrier for seven decades prior to its 2003 merger with KLM. Between April 2001 and March 2002, the airline carried 43.3mn passengers and had total revenues of 12.53bn. In November 2004, Air France ranked as the largest European airline with 25.5% total market share, and was the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue.

Air France operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body jetliners on long-haul routes, and utilises Airbus A320 family aircraft on short-haul routes. The carrier's regional airline subsidiary, Régional, operates the majority of its regional domestic and European scheduled services with a fleet of regional jet and turboprop aircraft.[5] Air France has received IATA accreditation with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for its safety practices.[6]

Air France's slogan is "Making the sky the best place on Earth."

Contents

History

Formation and early years

Air France was formed on 7 October 1933, from a merger of Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). Of these airlines, SGTA was the first commercial airline company in France, having been founded as Lignes Aériennes Farman in 1919. The constituent members of Air France had already built extensive networks across Europe, to French colonies in North Africa and farther afield.

During World War II, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca, Morocco. On 26 June 1945, all French air transport companies were nationalised. On 29 December 1945, a decree of the French government granted Air France the management of the entire French air transport network. Air France appointed its first flight attendants in 1946. The same year the airline opened its first air terminal at Les Invalides in central Paris. It was linked to Paris Le Bourget Airport, Air France's first operations and engineering base, by coach. At that time the network covered 160,000 km, claimed to be the longest in the world.[7] Société Nationale Air France was set up on 1 January 1946.

On 1 July 1946, Air France inaugurated direct scheduled service between Paris and New York via refuelling stops at Shannon and Gander. Douglas DC-4 piston-engined airliners covered the route in just under 20 hours.[7] By 1948 Air France operated one of the largest fleets in the world, numbering 130 aircraft.[7] In 1946 and 1948, respectively, the French government further authorised the creation of two private airlines: Transports Aériens Internationaux - later Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux - (TAI) and SATI. In 1949 the latter became part of Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT), a private French international airline.[7]

Compagnie Nationale Air France was created by act of parliament on 16 June 1948. Initially, the government held 70%. In subsequent years the French state's direct and indirect shareholdings reached almost 100%. In mid-2002 the state held 54%.[7][8] On 4 August 1948 Max Hymans was appointed president. During his 13-year tenure he would implement modernisation practices centred on the introduction of jet aircraft. In 1949, the company became a co-founder of Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA), an airline telecommunications services company.[7]

Jet age reorganisation

In 1952, Air France moved its operations and engineering to the new Paris Orly Airport South terminal. By that time the network had further expanded, covering 250,000km.[7] Air France entered the jet age in 1953 with the original, short-lived de Havilland Comet series 1, the world's first jetliner. At the time, it was also a major operator of the Vickers Viscount turboprop. On 26 September 1953, the government instructed Air France to share long-distance routes with new private airlines. This was followed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport's imposition of an accord on Air France, Aigle Azur, TAI and UAT, under which some routes to Africa, Asia and the Pacific were transferred to private carriers.[7]

On 23 February 1960, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport transferred Air France's domestic monopoly to Air Inter. To compensate for the loss of its domestic network, Air France was given a stake in Air Inter. The following day, Air France was further instructed to share African routes with Air Afrique and UAT.[7][8] The airline started uninterrupted pure jet operations in 1960 with the Sud Aviation Caravelle and the Boeing 707.[7] The incorporation of jet airliners into Air France's route network cut travel times in half and improved passenger comfort.[7] Air France later became an early Boeing 747 operator, and eventually operated one of the world's largest 747 fleets.

On 1 February 1963, the government formalised division of routes between Air France and its private sector rivals. Air France was to withdraw services to West Africa (with the exception of Senegal), Central Africa (except Burundi and Rwanda), Southern Africa (including South Africa), Libya in North Africa, Bahrain and Oman in the Middle East, Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) in South Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand as well as New Caledonia and Tahiti. These routes were allocated to the new Union des Transports Aériens (UTA), a new private airline that was the result of a merger between TAI and UAT. UTA also obtained exclusive rights between Japan, New Caledonia and New Zealand, South Africa and Réunion island in the Indian Ocean, as well as Los Angeles and Tahiti.[7][8]

From 1974, Air France began shifting the bulk of operations to the new Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris. By the early 1980s, only Corsica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, most services to French Guyana, Réunion, the Maghreb region, Eastern Europe (except the USSR), Southern Europe (except Greece and Italy), and one daily service to New York (JFK) remained at Orly. In 1974, Air France also became the world's first operator of the Airbus A300 twin-engined widebodied plane, Airbus Industrie's first commercial airliner for which it was a launch customer.

In 1975 Air France was headquartered in central Paris.[9]

Concorde service and rivalry

On 21 January 1976, Air France operated its inaugural supersonic transport (SST) service on the Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Rio (via Dakar) route with the Anglo-French BAC-Aérospatiale Concorde. Supersonic services from Paris (CDG) to New York (JFK) - the only remaining Concorde service until its end - as well as from Paris CDG to Washington D.C. commenced the following year. Paris to New York was covered in three hours and 23 minutes, about twice the speed of sound. Approval for flights to the United States was initially withheld due to noise protests. Eventually, services to Mexico City via Washington, D.C. were started. Air France became one of only two airlines - British Airways being the other - to regularly operate supersonic services, and continued daily transatlantic Concorde service for nearly two decades.

By 1983, Air France's golden jubilee, the workforce numbered more than 34,000, its fleet about 100 jet aircraft (including 33 Boeing 747s) and its 634,400 km network served 150 destinations in 73 countries. This made Air France the fourth-largest scheduled passenger airline in the world, as well as the second-largest scheduled freight carrier.[7] Air France also codeshared with regional French airlines, TAT being the most prominent. TAT applied Air France livery to several of its aircraft on Air France's regional international routes.[10]

In 1985 Air France was still headquartered in central Paris.[11]

In 1986 the government relaxed its policy of dividing traffic rights for scheduled services between Air France, Air Inter and UTA, without route overlaps between them. The decision opened some of Air France's most lucrative routes on which it had enjoyed a government-sanctioned monopoly since 1963 and which were within its exclusive sphere of influence, to rival airlines, notably UTA. The changes enabled UTA to launch scheduled services to new destinations within Air France's sphere, in competition with that airline.

Paris-San Francisco became the first route UTA served in competition with Air France non-stop from Paris. Air France responded by extending some non-stop Paris-Los Angeles services to Papeete, Tahiti, which competed with UTA on Los Angeles-Papeete. UTA's ability to secure traffic rights outside its traditional sphere in competition with Air France was the result of a campaign to lobby the government to enable it to grow faster, becoming more dynamic and more profitable. This infuriated Air France.[12]

In 1988, Air France was a launch customer for the fly-by-wire (FBW) A320 narrowbody twin, along with Air Inter and British Caledonian. It became the first airline to take delivery of the A320 in March 1988, and along with Air Inter became the first airlines to introduce Airbus A320 service on short-haul routes.

Acquisitions and privatisation

On 12 January 1990, the operations of government-owned Air France, semi-public Air Inter and wholly private UTA were merged into an enlarged Air France.[7] Air France's acquisition of UTA and Air Inter was part of an early 1990s government plan to create a unified, national carrier with the economies of scale and global reach to counter potential threats from the liberalisation of the EU's internal air transport market.[13]

On 25 July 1994, a new holding company, Groupe Air France, was set up by decree. Groupe Air France became operational on 1 September 1994. It acquired the Air France group's majority shareholdings in Air France and Air Inter (subsequently renamed Air France Europe). On 31 August 1994, Stephen Wolf, a former United Airlines CEO, was appointed adviser to the Air France group's chairman Christian Blanc. Wolf was credited with the introduction of Air France's hub and spoke operation at Paris Charles de Gaulle. (Wolf resigned in 1996 to take over as CEO at US Airways.)[14][15] In 1997, Air France Europe was absorbed into Air France.

On 19 February 1999, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government approved the Air France's partial privatisation. Its shares were listed on the Paris stock exchange on 22 February 1999. In June 1999, Air France and Delta Air Lines formed a bilateral transatlantic partnership. On 22 June 2000, this expanded into the SkyTeam global airline alliance.[2][7]

Air France-KLM merger

On 30 September 2003, Air France and Netherlands-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced the merger of the two airlines, the new company to be known as Air France-KLM. The merger became reality on 5 May 2004. At that point former Air France shareholders owned 81% of the new firm (44% owned by the French state, 37% by private shareholders), former KLM shareholders the rest. The decision of the Jean-Pierre Raffarin government to reduce the French state's shareholding in the former Air France group from 54.4% to 44% of the newly created Air France-KLM Group effectively privatised the new airline. In December 2004 the state sold 18.4% of its equity in Air France-KLM. The state's shareholding in Air France-KLM subsequently fell to just under 20%.[2]

Air France-KLM became the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenues, and third-largest (largest in Europe) in passenger kilometres.[2] Although owned by a single company, Air France and KLM continued to fly under their own brand names. Air France-KLM remained part of the SkyTeam alliance, which now included Aeroflot, Delta Air Lines, Aeroméxico, Korean Air, Czech Airlines, Alitalia, Northwest Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air Europa and Continental Airlines. As of March 2004, Air France employed 71,654 people.[16] As of March 2007, the airline employed 102,422 personnel.[2]

According to Air France-KLM, the company's principal activities became:

Open skies venture

On 17 October 2007, the creation of a profit and revenue-sharing transatlantic joint venture between Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines was announced during a press conference at Air France-KLM's Roissy-CDG headquarters. The venture became effective on 29 March 2008. It aimed to exploit transatlantic opportunities to capture a major share of long-haul business traffic from London Heathrow Airport, which opened to unrestricted competition on that day as a result of the "Open Skies" pact between the EU and USA. It was envisaged that Air France and Delta, as well as fellow SkyTeam members Continental and Northwest, would begin nine daily round trips between London-Heathrow and destinations in the USA, including a daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service by Air France. Once the new Air France-Delta venture received antitrust immunity, it was to be extended to the other two transatlantic SkyTeam partners, enabling all four partners to codeshare flights as well as to share revenue and profit.[17][18]

The new transatlantic joint venture marks the Air France-KLM Group's second major expansion in the London market, following the launch of CityJet-operated short-haul services from London City Airport that have been aimed at business travellers in the City's financial services industry.[17] However, the daily London (Heathrow) - Los Angeles was not as successful as hoped, and was discontinued in November 2008.[19]

Recent developments

On 13 January, Air France agreed to enter into recently privatised Alitalia's capital share with a 25% stake. This capital investment is coupled with a co-operation agreement on an industrial basis. It is expected that Air France's participation will increase in the years and that may likely lead to a merger with Alitalia, although nothing has been agreed so far on this.

Corporate identity

Liveries and logo

Air France's present livery is a Eurowhite scheme, comprising a white fuselage with the blue Air France title and design. The tail is white with a series of parallel red and blue lines across the it at an angle, and a small European flag at the top. This livery has been in use since the late 1970s. In 2009, to coincide with Air France's new logo, a change in livery is expected soon with the new logo replacing the old one at the forward fuselage.[20] The tail will have little change; there will now be 3 blue bars running down instead of 4 previously. The bars will also now curve at the bottom reflecting the design of the logo. Previously, Air France aircraft had a bare-metal underside, extending up to a blue cheat-line that ran across the cabin windows. Above the cheat-line the fuselage was again white, with Air France titles and a French flag. The tail was white with two thick blue lines, which tapered from the rear of the tail and met at point towards the front bottom. This basic livery, with minor variations, would appear on all post-war Air France aircraft until the late 1970s.

Upon its formation, Air France adopted the seahorse logo of its predecessor Air Orient, known as the hippocampe ailé, as its insignia.[21][22] Prior to the Air France-KLM merger, the hippocampe ailé was used on the nose section of aircraft next to the Groupe Air France title; after the merger, the Air France-KLM logo was substituted at the nose area, and the hippocampe ailé was relocated to engine nacelles. The acroynm "AF" has also featured prominently on the airline's flag and its signage. In February 2009, Air France officially changed its logo to a red stripe.

Marketing

The song played before and after Air France flights (during boarding and after landing) is 'Setting Fire to Sleepy Towns.' by The Sleeping Years. The song featured in the Air France commercials is "Between Us" by the band Aswefall.

Uniforms

Air France uniforms denote the ranks for the flight attendants. Two silver sleeve stripes denote a Chief Purser. One silver sleeve stripe denote a Purser. Flight attendants do not have any sleeve stripes. Air France's current uniforms were created by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix.

Destinations

Main article: Air France destinations

Air France is a full service global airline and flies to 20 domestic destinations and 150 international destinations in 83 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France) across all 6 major continents. This includes Air France Cargo services and those destinations served by franchisees Airlinair, Brit Air, CityJet, CCM Airlines and Régional.

Most of Air France's international flights operate from Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport. Air France also has a strong presence at Paris-Orly and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airports. As Air France becomes more a strategic partner with Delta Air Lines through the SkyTeam alliance and through a substantial joint venture, new routes and code-share agreements are developing rapidly.

Fleet

Fleet

The Air France fleet consists of the following aircraft:[23]

Air France Passenger Fleet[24]
Aircraft In Service Orders Options Passengers
(First/Business/(Premium) Economy)		 Haul Notes
Airbus A318-100 18 0 0 123 (0/0/123) Short-Medium Haul
Airbus A319-100 39 0 0 142 (0/0/142) Short-Medium Haul
Airbus A319LR 6 0 0 79 (0/28/51) Dedicated Services Business & Premium Economy Seating
Airbus A320-100 10 0 0 172 (0/0/172) Short-Medium Haul To be replaced by Airbus A320-200
Airbus A320-200 56 10 10 165 (0/0/165) Short-Medium Haul
Airbus A321-100 5 0 0 206 (0/0/206) Short-Medium Haul To be replaced by Airbus A321-200
Airbus A321-200 17 5 0 200 (0/0/200) Short-Medium Haul
Airbus A330-200 14 0 0 219 (0/40/179) Long Haul 2 in new livery
Airbus A340-300 19 0 0 272 (0/36/236)
289 (0/30/259)		 Long Haul
Airbus A380-800 0 12 2 538 (9/80/449) Long Haul Entry into service: October 2009
Boeing 747-400 13 0 0 474 (0/17/457) Long Haul Exit from service: 2013
6 to be converted into Boeing 747-400BCF
Boeing 777-200ER 25 0 0 264 (4/49/211) Long Haul GE90-94B Engines
Boeing 777-300ER 28 14 0 310 (8/67/235)
472 (14/36/422)		 Long Haul Launch customer
Customer of 777th 777 featuring Air France's first aircraft with new livery (F-GZND)
One in SkyTeam livery (F-GZNE)
Air France Cargo
Boeing 747-400BCF 4 6 0 Cargo Cargo 6 on order to be converted from Air France's passenger 747-400's
Boeing 747-400ERF 5 0 0 Cargo Cargo
Boeing 777F 2 3 3 Cargo Cargo Launch customer

The average fleet age of Air France is 9.5 years as of January 2009.[25]

Orders

Anniversary jet

On 14 November 2008, Air France released the first picture of an Airbus A320 with registration F-GFKJ that has been repainted in the full 1946 paint scheme to celebrate the airline's 75 years anniversary. This heritage aircraft is planned to fly under the special colours until Spring 2010.[32]

Fleet history

Concorde

The five Air France Concordes were grounded on 31 May 2003, as a result of insufficient demand following the 2000 accident, as well as higher fuel and maintenance costs. However, it is widely believed that Air France chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta's fear of personal criminal liability in the event of another Concorde accident was the real reason. Airbus's subsequent decision to stop supporting the in-service Concorde fleet forced British Airways to retire its own fleet. The Airbus decision to end Concorde support came at an inopportune time for British Airways as it had just completed a refurbishment of the aircraft's interiors and invested in post-2000 crash modifications. British Airways flew its last Concorde service on 24 October 2003. Concorde F-BVFA was transferred to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annexe of the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, near Washington Dulles Airport. F-BVFB was given to Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum in Germany, F-BTSD to the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Paris, while F-BVFC returned to its place of manufacture in Toulouse at the Airbus factory. F-BVFF is the only example to remain at Charles de Gaulle.[33]

1970s fleet

Air France Fleet in 1970 [34]
Aircraft Total Orders Options
BAC/Sud Concorde 0 0 8
Boeing SST 0 0 6
Boeing 707-300 33 0 0
Boeing 727-200 13 4 0
Boeing 747-100 4 1 0
Douglas DC-4 1 0 0
Sud Caravelle 44 0 0
Total 76 5 14

Cabin classes

Air France has three primary classes of international service: L'Espace Première (First), L'Espace Affaires (Business), and Tempo (Economy). European short-haul flights feature Tempo class service. For flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, a premium economy class, Alizé, is also offered,[35] and a Premium Tempo class has been announced for select international routes. Inflight entertainment via AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) is available in select cabins.

La Première

La Première (former L'Espace Première), Air France's long-haul first class product, is available on Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The La Première cabin features four to eight wood and leather seats which recline 180°, forming two-metre long beds. Each seat features a 10.4" touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, a privacy divider, automassage feature, reading light, storage drawer, noise-cancelling headphones, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. À la carte on-demand meal services feature entrées created by Chef Guy Martin. Turndown service includes a mattress, duvet and pillow. Private lounge access is offered worldwide.

Affaires

Affaires (former L'Espace Affaires), Air France's long-haul business class product, is available on Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER, and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Affaires features lie-flat seats which recline to two metres in length. Each seat includes a 10.4" touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, reading light, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. Meal service features three-course meals and a cheese service, or an express menu served shortly after takeoff.


Alizé

Alizé is Air France's regional premium economy product for flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean (such as the Antilles, French Guiana, and Mauritius). On the Boeing 777-300ER, the Alizé cabin is located in front of the Voyageur cabin and features 36 seats. Alizé seats recline up to 123° and feature massaging foot rests. A pre-departure drink, enhanced meal service, and feather pillows and blankets are offered.

Premium Voyageur

This new class will be available on Boeing 777 aircraft starting Autumn/Winter 2009/2010. Based on the concept of a premium economy cabin, it is said that it will incorporate all the amenities of standard Voyageur class but with a more spacious cabin, in a 2-4-2 configuration and a 38" pitch. It is expected for there to be about 32 of these new seats on the Boeing 777-300ER.[36]

Voyageur

Voyageur (former Tempo), Air France's economy class product, features seats that recline up to 118°. The latest long-haul Voyageur seat, which debuted on the Boeing 777-300ER, includes winged headrests, a personal telephone, and a touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and partial AVOD, with films and programs restarting every 15 minutes. Short-haul Tempo services are operated by Airbus A320 family aircraft with different seating arrangements. Air France is one of the few airlines who features winged headrests on short-haul aircraft in both classes. On short haul flights, a three course cold meal is served. On long haul flights there is a choice between two main courses when available. Limited free alcoholic beverages are available on all flights.[37] Tempo will be renamed as Voyageur with Air France's new image rebranding.

Services

In-flight catering

For its L'Espace Première cabin, Air France's first class menu is designed by Guy Martin, chef of Le Grand Vefour, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Paris.[38] Menu items include hors doeuvres, entreés, bread basket, and cheeses, along with a dessert cart including pastries, petit fours, and tartlets.[39] Air France also serves complimentary champagne to passengers in all classes.[40]

In-flight entertainment

Air France offers Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) in all classes on service on its A330, A340, and 777 aircraft. The AVOD system features multiple channels of video, audio, music, and games. L'Espace Première and L'Espace Affaires passengers can start and stop programs, plus rewind and fast-forward as desired; in Tempo class, the system may cycle between programs at a regular interval on some aircraft. Some aircraft in Air France's 747 fleet do not have individual video screens in Tempo class. Air France Magazine, the airline's in-flight publication, is included at each seat, and Air France Madame, a fashion luxury magazine with a feminine perspective, is included in L'Espace Première and L'Espace Affaires cabins and lounges.[41]

Lounges

Air France lounges are open to L'Espace Première and L'Espace Affaires passengers, as well as Flying Blue Gold, Flying Blue Platinum, SkyTeam Elite Plus, or Club 2000 frequent flier program cardholders. Many airports feature SkyTeam lounges that are used by Air France and member airline partners.

Flying Blue
Main article: Flying Blue

Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program of Air France-KLM, awards members points based on miles traveled and class of service. Membership into the program is free. The program is divided into standard (Ivory) and Elite (Silver, Gold and Platinum) statuses. Ivory is the basic level which is attained upon entry into the program. Elite status is attained by accruing a certain number of miles within one calendar year. Elite Silver, Elite Gold, and Elite Platinum cards have added benefits.[42] Flying Blue succeeded Air France's previous frequent flyer program, Fréquence Plus, which operated until the Air France-KLM merger in 2003.

  • Ivory - Permanent status; accrues mileage on AF, KLM, and qualifying flights.
  • Silver (Elite)[43] - 25,000 or more miles on 15 or more segments.
  • Gold (Elite) - 40,000 or more miles traveled on 30 or more level segments.
  • Platinum (Elite) - 70,000 or more miles traveled on 60 or more level segments.

For French and Monegasque residents, Elite thresholds are higher, at 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 miles respectively.[43]

Codeshare agreements

In addition to its Brit Air, CityJet and Régional subsidiaries, and its SkyTeam alliance partnership, Air France offers frequent flyer partnerships with approximately two-dozen airlines:[44]

Subsidiaries and franchises

In partnership with Dutch affiliate Transavia, Air France has launched a new low-cost subsidiary based at Paris - Orly airport. Operations began in May 2007 with flights to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean region and North Africa. It is operating four "Next Generation" Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Transavia has a 40% stake, with Air France holding the rest.[45]

Airlinair, Brit Air, CityJet, CCM Airlines and Régional all operate flights on behalf of Air France, either as subsidiaries or as franchisees.

Rail ventures

Air France and Veolia are looking into jointly operating high-speed rail services in Europe. Routes will become available to operators in accordance with European rail liberalisation on 1 January 2010.[46]

In popular culture

Air France is the official airline of the Cannes Film Festival.[47]

Air France has featured in Hollywood films. In the 1942 classic Casablanca, an Air France airliner, identifiable via its seahorse logo, featured prominently in the film's climactic last scene. The Air France aircraft was used to take Ingrid Bergman's character to freedom, as her former lover, played by Humphrey Bogart, watches.[47] Additionally, the first in-flight movie was screened on board an Air France Lockheed Constellation in 1951 flying the New York to Paris route.[47]

Incidents and accidents

 This section needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

In Air France's 70-year history, 13 of the reported accidents involved loss of life.[48]

Selected accidents and major incidents:

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Hijackings
 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Air France has been the target of several hijackings. These hijackings occurred in the following sequence:

Notes

  1. ^ "Head Office,Air France. Retrieved on 18 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: pp. 56-57. 2007-03-27. 
  3. ^ Salpukas, Agis (1992-12-27). "Air France's Big Challenge". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/27/business/air-france-s-big-challenge.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-31. 
  4. ^ "Air France - Company Overview". Hoover's. 2009. http://www.hoovers.com/air-france/--ID__43290--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml. Retrieved on 2009-05-31. 
  5. ^ Régional (Compagnie Aérienne Européenne), Company Profile
  6. ^ Air France IOSA Operators Profile
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Air France (Airline, France)
  8. ^ a b c M.R. Golder, The Changing Nature of French Dirigisme - A Case Study of Air France. Thesis submitted at Trinity College, Oxford, 1997, p.28
  9. ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. "466.
  10. ^ Airliners.net
  11. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 30 March 1985. 42." Retrieved on 17 June 2009.
  12. ^ Answers.com (Business and Finance) - Chargeurs International
  13. ^ FT.com/Business Life, The Monday Interview, 30 September 2007 - Pilot who found the right trajectory
  14. ^ The New York Times, 31 August 1994, Air France's New Adviser
  15. ^ Business Wire, 16 January 1996 - Statement from Air France Group Chairman regarding Stephen M. Wolf
  16. ^ AIR FRANCE - KLM Company Profile Yahoo! Finance
  17. ^ a b Financial Times, 17 October 2007 - Air France and Delta target London
  18. ^ Airwise, 17 October 2007 - Air France And Delta Set Transatlantic Venture
  19. ^ Engle, Jane. "Air France will refund or reroute LAX-Heathrow fliers". The Los Angeles Times. http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/air-france-will-refu-2984/. Retrieved on 2009-05-09. 
  20. ^ "Air France's new livery retains much of current scheme". Flight International. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/02/11/322387/picture-air-frances-new-livery-retains-much-of-current-scheme.html. Retrieved on 2009-02-11. 
  21. ^ Pegasus a la Francaise
  22. ^ Air France's Hippocampe and BOAC's Speedbird: the semiotic status of logos
  23. ^ Air France Fleet Information
  24. ^ A modern and rationalized fleet
  25. ^ Air France Fleet Age
  26. ^ Air France To Retire Boeing 747 Fleet (Flight Global: 24 May 2007)
  27. ^ ASIATravelTips.com, 18 June 2001 - Air France confirms major A380 order
  28. ^ Airliner World (March 2005)
  29. ^ Air International (July 2005)
  30. ^ DVB to acquire six Air France Boeing 747-400s Flight Global, 5 February 2008
  31. ^ [1] Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 20 February 2009
  32. ^ Airliners.net F-GFKJ retrojet
  33. ^ The Betrayal Of Concorde By Donald L. Pevsner
  34. ^ Flight International 26 March 1970
  35. ^ Air France - On Board
  36. ^ Air France reçoit son 50e Boeing 777 et lance une Tempo premium
  37. ^ "Baggage fees for major airlines". budgettravel.about.com. http://budgettravel.about.com/od/airfarescruises/tp/majors_bagfees.htm. Retrieved on 2009-02-22. 
  38. ^ Forbes - First-Class Chefs Take Flight
  39. ^ There is such thing as a good airline meal
  40. ^ Air France Airline Information
  41. ^ Echo Media - Air France Madame
  42. ^ Air France Flying Blue
  43. ^ a b Air France Flying Blue membership thresholds
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  45. ^ Airliner World (January 2007)
  46. ^ Air France, Veolia plan high-speed rail venture (Reuters, 2008-09-08)
  47. ^ a b c Air France Reaching for the Stars
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  75. ^ Boeing's workhorse
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References

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